ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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Bonobos May Have Greater Linguistic Skills Than Previously Thought (September 2, 2008) -- What happens when linguistic tools used to analyze human language are applied to a conversation between a language-competent bonobo and a human? New findings indicate that bonobos may exhibit larger linguistic competency in ordinary conversation than in controlled experimental settings. ... > full story
Landmark Study Opens Door To New Cancer, Aging Treatments (September 2, 2008) -- Researchers have deciphered the structure of the active region of telomerase, an enzyme that plays a major role in the development of nearly all human cancers. The landmark achievement opens the door to the creation of new, broadly effective cancer drugs, as well as anti-aging therapies. ... > full story
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary In Fair Condition, Facing Emerging Threats (September 2, 2008) -- A new NOAA report on the health of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary indicates that the overall condition of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats is fair. The report also identifies several emerging threats to sanctuary resources, including non-indigenous marine species, overfishing, waterborne chemicals from human coastal activities, and increased recreational use of the site. ... > full story
Coronary Stents: Safety And Long Term Results Debated (September 2, 2008) -- New results questioned the long-term safety of drug eluting stents (DES) and sparked intense discussion at a recent conference. ... > full story
Train Safety: Season Of Mists And Leaves On The Line (September 2, 2008) -- The season of mists, mellow fruitfulness, and leaves on the line is almost upon us. But, scientists have discovered that rather than blaming the train companies, passengers suffering annual delays should look to the weather forecast. According to research published in the International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering, it is a dry period followed by drizzly or misty weather that leads to the worst conditions for leaves on the line. ... > full story
Low-income? No Car? Expect To Pay More For Groceries (September 2, 2008) -- Households located in poor neighborhoods pay more for the same items than people living in wealthy ones, according to a new study. ... > full story
Prehistoric Funerary Precinct Excavated In Northern Israel: Grave Goods Include Phallic Figurines, Sea Shells (September 2, 2008) -- Hebrew University excavations in the north of Israel have revealed a prehistoric funerary precinct dating back to 6,750-8,500 BCE. The precinct, a massive walled enclosure measuring 10 meters by at least 20 meters, was discovered at excavations being undertaken at Kfar HaHoresh. The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B site in the Nazareth hills of the lower Galilee is interpreted as having been a regional funerary and cult center for nearby lowland villages. ... > full story
Biophysical Method May Help To Recover Hearing (September 2, 2008) -- Scientists have created a biophysical methodology that may help to overcome hearing deficits, and potentially remedy even substantial hearing loss. The authors propose a method of retuning functioning regions of the ear to recognize frequencies originally associated with damaged areas. ... > full story
Bitter-tasting Nectar And Floral Odors Optimize Outcrossing For Plants (September 2, 2008) -- Experiments with genetically modified plants reveal new aspects on the biochemistry of flowers. Scientists have discovered how the chemistry of nectar and floral scents enforces good pollinator behavior, enabling plants to optimize the production of out-crossed seeds. ... > full story
Treatment Appears To Reduce Heart Attack Risk And Revascularisation In Stable Coronary Patients (September 2, 2008) -- Ivabradine is the first antianginal treatment shown to reduce myocardial infarction and revascularisation and to have a good tolerability profile even when used with other drugs. ... > full story
Grain Moisture Measurements May Divert Mold, Insect Infestation (September 2, 2008) -- Grain storage bins are routinely monitored for temperature to control insect and mold problems. Now an scientists have preliminary research findings showing that monitoring carbon dioxide -- along with humidity and temperature -- also may help detect problems more effectively. ... > full story
A Room With A Viewpoint: Conservation Messages And Motivation (September 2, 2008) -- People are more likely to reuse hotel towels if they know other guests are doing it too. ... > full story
'Lost World' Beneath Caribbean To Be Explored (September 1, 2008) -- Scientists are set to explore the world's deepest undersea volcanoes and find out what lives in a 'lost world' five kilometres beneath the Caribbean. ... > full story
Sex Differences Seen In Response To Common Antidepressant (September 1, 2008) -- Women with depression may be much more likely than men to get relief from a commonly used, inexpensive antidepressant drug, a new national study finds. But many members of both sexes may find that it helps ease their depression symptoms. The persistence of a gender difference in response to the drug -- even after the researchers accounted for many complicating factors -- suggests that there's a real biological difference in the way the medication affects women. ... > full story
New Report Loosens Noose Around Albatross’s Neck (September 1, 2008) -- The survival chances of the albatross, now officially the most threatened seabird family in the world, have been improved following a new report released by WWF-South Africa. ... > full story
New Genes Found For Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Children (September 1, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered two new genes that increase the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease in childhood. Continuing discovery of genes that interact with each other and with environmental influences in this complex disease helps build the foundation for personalized IBD treatments tailored to a patient's genetic profile. ... > full story
Environmental Friendly Technology Can Remove Ink Stains In Paper Recycling (September 1, 2008) -- The greatest challenge in paper recycling is removal of polymeric ink and coating; and the most difficult paper is mixed office wastepaper. Traditional de-inking processes involve large quantities of chemicals which are expensive and unfriendly to the environment. A better alternative would be a technology that involves biological intervention. ... > full story
Powerful Donor Motivators For Fundraising (September 1, 2008) -- People are more likely to donate to pledge drive appeals when fundraisers tap into peoples' desire to help others, according to a new study. Donors are also more likely to respond to appeals that involve negative emotions than pitches about benefits to the donor. ... > full story
'Armored' Fish Study Helps Strengthen Darwin's Natural Selection Theory (September 1, 2008) -- Shedding some genetically induced excess baggage may have helped a tiny fish thrive in freshwater and outsize its marine ancestors, according to a new study in Science. ... > full story
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Humans Could Be Infected Through Blood Transfusions (September 1, 2008) -- A nine-year study in sheep has added to the evidence that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) can be transmitted through blood transfusion in humans. The likelihood of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) being transmitted between sheep through transfusion of infected sheep blood was 36 per cent, according to new research. ... > full story
Diversity Among Parasitic Wasps Is Even Greater Than Suspected (September 1, 2008) -- A tiny wasp that lays its eggs under the skin of unwitting caterpillars belongs to one of the most diverse groups of insects on Earth. Now researchers report that its diversity is even higher than previously thought. ... > full story
Medication To Lower Blood Pressure Reduces Outcome Of Cardiovascular Death, Heart Attack Or Stroke, Study Suggests (September 1, 2008) -- Telmisartan, a medication used to lower blood pressure, reduced the outcome of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke in people who are unable to tolerate a widely available and effective standard treatment, according to a new study. ... > full story
Secret Of Plasma Heating Revealed (September 1, 2008) -- The secret of electron heating in low temperature plasmas has been discovered. Scientists found the answer to a question which has been puzzling scientists for decades -- why electrons in such plasmas are so hot. ... > full story
Charities Take Note: Personal Relationships Increase Donations (September 1, 2008) -- People tend to be more sympathetic to people suffering from the same misfortune as a friend. But friendship with a victim does not make people generally more sympathetic, according to a new study. ... > full story
Faster Rise In Sea Level Predicted From Melting Greenland Ice Sheet, Based On Lessons From Ice Age (September 1, 2008) -- If the lessons being learned by scientists about the demise of the last great North American ice sheet are correct, estimates of global sea level rise from a melting Greenland ice sheet may be seriously underestimated. Scientists report that sea level rise from greenhouse-induced warming of the Greenland ice sheet could be double or triple current estimates over the next century. ... > full story
Smoking During Pregnancy A 'Double-edged Sword' In SIDS (September 1, 2008) -- Premature infants whose mothers smoked during pregnancy may be at even higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome than preemies whose mothers did not smoke, according to new research. In the first-ever experimental study to compare the breathing reflexes of preemies of smokers versus non-smokers, researchers found that babies whose mothers had smoked showed a number of signs of impaired respiratory function. ... > full story
Crystals Improve Understanding Of Volcanic Eruption Triggers (September 1, 2008) -- Scientists have exploited crystals from lavas to unravel the records of volcanic eruptions. ... > full story
Jumping For Joy ... And Stronger Bones (September 1, 2008) -- High impact activities such as jumping and skipping that can easily be incorporated into warm-ups before sports and physical education classes, have been shown to benefit bone health in adolescents. ... > full story
New Field Of Research Could Help Police In Crime Scene Forensics (September 1, 2008) -- A team of investigators have found a way to identify possible suspects at crime scenes using only a small amount of DNA, even if it is mixed with hundreds of other genetic fingerprints. ... > full story
When Charities Ask For Time, People Give More Money (September 1, 2008) -- According to new research in the Journal of Consumer Research, simply asking people a question about whether they're willing to volunteer their time leads to increases in donations of both time and money. ... > full story
Bone That Blends Into Tendons Created By Engineers (August 31, 2008) -- Engineers have used skin cells to create artificial bones that mimic the ability of natural bone to blend into other tissues such as tendons or ligaments. The artificial bones provide for better integration with the body and handle weight more successfully. ... > full story
More Genes Are Controlled By Biological Clocks Than Previously Thought (August 31, 2008) -- The tick-tock of your biological clock may have just gotten a little louder. The number of genes under control of the biological clock in a much-studied model organism is dramatically higher than previously reported. The new study implies that the clock may be much more important in living things than suspected only a few years ago. ... > full story
Life Under The Laser: Unique Technology Illuminates Microscopic Activity In Body's Chemical Messenger System (August 31, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a unique technology that will allow scientists to look at microscopic activity within the body's chemical messenger system for the very first time, live as it happens. ... > full story
Flu Shot Does Not Reduce Risk Of Death, Research Shows (August 31, 2008) -- The widely-held perception that the influenza vaccination reduces overall mortality risk in the elderly does not withstand careful scrutiny, according to researchers. The vaccine does confer protection against specific strains of influenza, but its overall benefit appears to have been exaggerated by a number of observational studies that found a very large reduction in all-cause mortality among elderly patients who had been vaccinated. ... > full story
NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Ascends To Level Ground (August 31, 2008) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has climbed out of the large crater that it had been examining from the inside since last September. ... > full story
Reducing Risky Health Behaviors In Teens: A Tall Order (August 31, 2008) -- Programs targeting at-risk kids must tackle a constellation of issues in order to be effective. "To really improve adolescent health, programs should seek to reduce risk taking, improve social capital and improve levels of affluence," said co-author of a new study. ... > full story
No More Big Stink: Scent Lures Mosquitoes, But Humans Can't Smell It (August 31, 2008) -- Mosquito traps that reek like latrines may be no more. Chemical ecologists have discovered a low-cost, easy-to-prepare attractant that lures blood-fed mosquitoes without making humans hold their noses. ... > full story
Memory Trick Shows Brain Organization (August 31, 2008) -- A simple memory trick has helped show researchers how an area of the brain called the perirhinal cortex can contribute to forming memories. ... > full story
Hearing Specialist Craft First Professional Guidelines For Earwax (August 31, 2008) -- The age-old advice to routinely clean out earwax is discouraged under the first published guidelines from health care professionals about removing wax from the ear. ... > full story
Heavy Breathing: An Obscure Link In Asthma And Obesity (August 31, 2008) -- There is a strong link between obesity and asthma and as the prevalence of both conditions has been increasing steadily, epidemiologists have speculated that there is an underlying condition that connects the two. But one long-suspected link, the systemic inflammation associated with obesity, has been essentially ruled out by a recent study that found no evidence of its involvement. ... > full story
Incidence Of Intestinal Parasite Coccidia Is Increasing In Broilers (August 31, 2008) -- Coccidia are single-celled intestinal parasites that currently represent one of the greatest challenges to the broiler industry. To keep the level of infection low, farmers commonly add coccidia-inhibiting chemicals (coccidiostats) to broiler feed. While this does not kill the parasites, it greatly reduces the incidence of overt sickness and death from infection. While clinical coccidiosis is therefore not a problem, veterinary authorities have never been able to gauge the extent of subclinical coccidiosis and the consequences this may have for animal welfare issues and production costs. ... > full story
Public Involvement Usually Leads To Better Environmental Decision Making (August 31, 2008) -- When done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment, says a new report from the National Research Council. ... > full story
Treatment For Hearing Loss? Scientists Grow Hair Cells Involved in Hearing (August 30, 2008) -- Scientists have successfully produced functional auditory hair cells in the cochlea of the mouse inner ear. The breakthrough suggests that a new therapy may be developed in the future to successfully treat hearing loss. ... > full story
Young Type-2 Diabetic Men Suffer Low Testosterone Levels, Study Shows (August 30, 2008) -- Young men with type 2 diabetes have significantly low levels of testosterone, endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo have found -- a condition that could have a critical effect on their quality of life and on their ability to father children. ... > full story
Magmatically Triggered Slow Earthquake Discovered At Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (August 30, 2008) -- From June 17-19, 2007, Kilauea experienced a new dike intrusion, where magma rapidly moved from a storage reservoir beneath the summit into the east rift zone and extended the rift zone by as much as 1 meter. ... > full story
One Cause Of Higher Rates Of Transplanted Kidney Rejection In Blacks (August 30, 2008) -- Scientists may have an explanation for at least some of the higher organ rejection rates seen among black -- as compared to white -- kidney transplant recipients. ... > full story
Novel Approach In Molecular Differentiation Of Prion Strains (August 30, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a prion protein characteristic that is unique to some natural but unusual sheep scrapie cases. This finding may provide a novel method by which to study prion diversity and their possible changes during cross-species transmission. ... > full story
Global Survey Highlights Need For Cancer Prevention Campaigns To Correct Misbeliefs, Survey Finds (August 30, 2008) -- Many people hold mistaken beliefs about what causes cancer, tending to inflate the threat from environmental factors that have relatively little impact while minimizing the hazards of behaviors well established as cancer risk factors, according to the first global survey on the topic. People in high-income countries were the least likely to believe that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer. ... > full story
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